Getty Xavien Howard.
The Las Vegas Raiders have received strong play from their cornerbacks so far this season. Jack Jones and Jakorian Bennett have only allowed eight combined receptions through two games, according to Pro Football Focus, but what has to concern the team is the lack of depth.
If either Bennett or Jones were to get injured, the defense might be in trouble. The team is also very young at the position as they don’t have a cornerback over 26 on the roster. That’s a big reason why Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes former Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard would be an ideal fit in Las Vegas.
“It’s kind of amazing that Howard hasn’t been signed yet,” Ballentine wrote in a September 16 column. “He was a solid starter for the Miami Dolphins last season at a position where it isn’t always easy to find solid starters. Even if he’s dealt with some injury issues, he’s been a good player when he’s been on the field.
“That’s something the Raiders could use. They are relying on a lot of young guys to take the next step in their development. Signing Howard would give them a good option if someone like Jakorian Bennett doesn’t take the next step.”
Xavien Howard Has Experience With Patrick Graham
Third-round pick cornerback Decamerion Richardson was inactive for the first two games of the season and that’s likely to continue as he hasn’t practiced all week. That makes the need at cornerback only more pressing if he’s not going to be healthy soon.
Out of all the free agent cornerbacks available, Howard makes the most sense. He led the NFL twice in intercpetions, is a four-time Pro Bowler and played in Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s defense in 2019 while they were both with the Dolphins. He would be able to pick things up quickly and if he’s simply a depth piece, he could be very valuable to the defense.
Antonio Pierce Praises Jakorian Bennett
Bennett has arguably been the biggest surprise on the Raiders defense. He’s only allowed three receptions all season and hasn’t made any bad plays yet. Head coach Antonio Pierce has been very impressed with what he’s seen from Bennett dating back to April.
“Man, like I said, you could see it was a different look, to be honest, in his eyes when he came back in the spring in April, like, ‘Ok, he’s working hard,'” Pierce said during his September 18 press conference. “You see him, and at the time, we had [Brandon] Facyson here, and he was backing up Facyson, and he just slowly kept chopping wood. And then we got in the preseason and he made that play down in Minnesota on the goal line when they went for it on fourth down.
“And then just each and every day at practice, he’s going against Davante [Adams] and Jakobi [Meyers]. You can see the confidence growing. And then, I’ll be honest, it started again last week against the [Los Angeles] Chargers. They took a shot at him just a couple days ago, in Baltimore did the same thing. And what I love about it is he’s not panicking, he’s playing the ball, he’s trusting his speed, he’s trusting his technique, and even better – I’m going to go back to what this bad boy is about with us right now is just how our teammates celebrate and encourage him. That’s what keeps building the confidence up.”
